Wade Davis

Davis supplied the Royals with one of the best relief seasons in recent memory, as the right-hander did not allow an extra-base hit until his 44th appearance of the year. The 29-year-old also logged a...

Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wil Myers/James Shields trade, Davis was expected to be able to carry his 2012 relief numbers over to a starting role as the fifth member of Royals' 2013 rotation. While he was better than his last go-around as a starter in 2011, he struggled mightily in his return to the rotation. An unusually-high .361 BABIP and 27.5% line drive rate seemed to be the cause of his problems, but he also struggled with his command, posting just a 1.97 K/BB over 135.1 innings. The Royals left him in the rotation for the majority of the season and settled on pitching him for roughly just five innings per outing, hoping he would eventually right the ship. When his struggles continued, he took a quick demotion to the minors and when rosters expanded in September, was brought back up but pushed back into the bullpen for the final month of the season and pitched strictly in low-leverage situations. The Royals have him under contract through the end of the 2014 season with options through 2017, so they're certainly not giving up on him. He'll likely get a chance to compete for a rotation spot during the spring, but he seems destined to make a permanent shift to the bullpen.

2013

Though he was disappointed to lose out on the final spot of the rotation in 2012 to Jeff Niemann, Davis gave the Rays a dependable workhorse in the bullpen who did not lose a game while posting a 2.43 ERA over 54 appearances. The team did not want him to go back and forth from the bullpen to the rotation and opted to keep him in his late-inning role. The transition must have kept him fresh as he drastically lowered his walk rate and raised his strikeout rate. He also nearly doubled his swinging strike percentage to 12 percent, possibly caused by a significant uptick in the average velocity on his fastball, slider and curveball. Included in the blockbuster deal that sent Wil Myers to Tampa Bay in December, Davis is expected to move back into a starting role and open the year in the back of the Kansas City rotation.

2012

Many expected Davis to take another step in the right direction developmentally and instead he did just the opposite. He finished the season with a 11-10 record which was kind of lucky considering his 4.45 ERA and 1.375 WHIP. A loss of one mph off his fastball may be partially to blame for the decrease in his strikeout rate which dropped to 5.14 K/9IP after a 6.05 K/9IP mark in 2010. Besides his fastball, Davis has a decent curveball as well as a slider and changeup in his arsenal of pitches. The problem for Davis is that he simply isn't missing many bats. His 5.9 percent swinging strike rate is well below league-average although his K/9IP rate was at its highest mark over the final two months of the season. There will be plenty of competition for the rotation in the spring; Davis will need a good showing if he's going to claim a spot as the No. 4 or No. 5 starter.

2011

Davis had a very good first season as a full-time starter for the Rays, finishing 12-10 as their No. 4 option. An imposing force on the mound, he finished with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.351 WHIP which isn't too bad considering the division he pitches in. After a stint on the DL due to shoulder soreness in early August, Davis showed no ill effects after returning. Over the first half of last season, Davis struggled to keep the ball in the park allowing 18 home runs, but he showed signs of improvement during the second half and only allowed six more. Davis also improved his control, lowering his walk rate over the first five months after starting out with a gaudy 5.32 BB/9IP mark in April. Davis will be a name to remember in mid-late rounds of fantasy drafts and should open as either the No. 3 or No 4 starter for the Rays this season.

2010

Davis heads into spring with a legitimate shot at cracking the rotation. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and armed with a 96-mph heater, Davis also throws a plus-curve and worked on improving his changeup and cut fastball. After a fine season for Durham (3.40 ERA, 1.254 WHIP) he continued to pitch well for the Rays in six late-season starts. He doesn't quite have the upside of teammate Jeremy Hellickson, but he should make for a solid No. 2 starter down the road.

2009

Davis has been overshadowed by the attention given to David Price, but he had a decent season himself and is still an attractive prospect. Command issues were a problem at times for him this year, but the Rays still added him to the 40-man roster and will give him a long look in spring training before he begins 2009 back at Triple-A. The Rays likely will want to get Davis another half-season's worth of starts at Triple-A before they seriously consider him for a big-league callup.

2008

Of all the pitching prospects in the Rays' chain, Davis may have the most promise. He survived his transition to Double-A well, although that increased walk rate indicates he might still have some things to learn. Ideally, the Rays would like to see Davis reach the bigs sometime in midseason 2009 or so. However, he'll get some high-visibility innings this spring, and if Davis shows he's ready, the Rays won't mind moving up his timetable to allow for a major-league debut by the end of 2008.

2007

Davis had a great year at low-A, finishing the season with a no-hitter. Check out that strikeout rate, courtesy of a great 94-mph fastball, good curve and slider. He's not likely to make an impact in the bigs before 2009 at the earliest, but he's perhaps the Rays' best pitching prospect at the lower levels. He'll start 2007 at High-A Vero Beach.

2006

Davis was a third-round pick in 2004 out of high school in Lake Wales, Florida. His fastball can hit 98 MPH, and he has made major strides improving his command and control. He is on several prospect lists as a sleeper heading into 2006.